Detroit Lakes, MN (KDLM) – The MSHSL Board of Directors met on Thursday morning to discuss a number of items for the upcoming athletic seasons, including section realignment for 2023-24 and 2024-25.
The Competitive Section Placement process includes:
- Determining MSHSL enrollments by using enrollment and free/reduced lunch information provided by member schools to the Minnesota Department of Education.
- Creating classification cut-offs for each activity to determine classes.
- Collecting and applying opt-up requests by member schools seeking to move up a class from their assigned class.
- Consideration and granting of appeals from member schools for teams to move down from their assigned class.
- Placement of teams into sections based on board policy that includes geography and balancing the number of teams in each section.
Here are the big changes coming to Detroit Lakes and their competitive sections:
BASEBALL/SOFTBALL: Section 8AAA will see the addition of Fergus Falls and Hutchinson in 2023. Sauk Rapids-Rice moves up to 8AAAA.
BASKETBALL: Fergus Falls will be making the jump from 8AA to 8AAA to join Detroit Lakes. Sauk Rapids-Rice is leaving the section and moving up to 8AAAA. The St. Cloud Crush will also join Section 8AAA on the girls side, dropping down from 8AAAA.
CROSS COUNTRY: Competition is going to get a lot tougher for Detroit Lakes and the rest of Section 8AA with the addition of powerhouse Perham into Class AA. The Perham girls won the Class A State Championship last November, with the boys team placing third at State.
DANCE: Sauk Rapids-Rice will move up to Class AAA, and Spectrum will join the section from Class A and Coon Rapids will come down from Class AAA.
FOOTBALL: The Lakers section opponents for football will change a little bit with St. Cloud Apollo Eagles moving to 5AAAA, and Princeton taking its place. The Lakers never played Apollo while they were in 8AAAA. The Eagles were 1-8 last season. The Princeton Tigers, who will be moving over from 6AAAA, were 6-3.
GOLF: The biggest change for Laker athletics is both Laker Golf teams will be moving back down to Class AA for the 2023-24 school year. The Girls team made the jump to Class AAA in 2019 after winning six Class AA State Championships between 2012-2018, and the boys made the jump to AAA in 2021.
GYMNASTICS: No change
HOCKEY: No changes
SKI: No changes
SOCCER: No changes
SWIM AND DIVE: No changes
TENNIS: Boys tennis teams Section 8AA down to Class A. Girls Tennis will remain in 8AA.
TRACK AND FIELD: Just like in Cross Country, Perham will make the jump from Class A to Class AA. Melrose departs 8AA for 5AA.
VOLLEYBALL: No change
WRESTLING: No change
OTHER NOTABLE MOVES:
Frazee Hornets boys basketball team is moving from 8AA to 6A. The Girls team will stay in 8AA. West Central Area will also join Section 6A, dropping down from 3AA.
Perham Cross Country is moving from Section 8A to Section 8AA.
Fergus Falls boys and girls basketball teams are moving from 8AA to 8AAA.
Park Rapids Football goes from 8AAA to 8AA.
